The Last Knydaxian Special: Eternal Winter
by Cybercitizen
Summary: After the events of "Race Against Time", Elsa Frost and her wife have left the Archangel to return to Arendelle in exile. The crew is broken without them and after a disaterous mission on Illium, they realise that they need Elsa back. But when Sapphira heads to Arendelle to do just that, she and Melody find that a new threat is rising. (Elsanna, Crossover, Last Knydaxian)
1. Part 1

_Eternal Winter: Part 1_

Sapphira Frost was flying down the streets of Nos Astra on Illium, the thrusters on her flight suit working overtime to help her catch up to her target. Her helmet was scanning the skyway below her, assisting her in her search.

"Sapphira, do you see the shuttle?" asked a voice in her ear.

"Not yet, Admiral," Sapphira replied. "Aurora has too big of a lead on us."

"She has to be stopped, Sapphira," Kristoff said urgently. "We can't let her get that ion cell to Cerberus."

"Don't think I don't know that, Kristoff," Sapphira replied, annoyed. Ever since her parents had left the Archangel, Kristoff had been a lot harder on her and the rest of the crew, which wasn't doing any favors for the crew's morale. Missions like these would come up way too frequently, and Sapphira, as well as the rest of her team, were starting to feel the exhaustion.

Eventually, Sapphira saw a stolen Alliance shuttlecraft hurtling along the skyway at a breakneck pace, smoke pouring from its rear engines. It had taken some damage in the theft, but was mostly functional.

"I found the shuttle, Kristoff," she reported, pressing the side of her helmet.

"Try and slow it down with an energy blast or two," Kristoff instructed. "But don't damage the shuttle. We can't risk that cell exploding in a populated area."

"I can handle it," Sapphira told him. She boosted towards the shuttle and landed on the roof, using a wrist laser built into her suit to cut through the metal.

At the helm of the shuttle was the Cerberus agent known as Aurora, with a platoon of heavily armed troops in the cargo area. And in their midst, locked in a large container, was an ion cell. This was an energy source that had only recently been developed by the Galactic Alliance, and would bring Cerberus a considerable amount of power-and profit.

Just then, Sapphira dropped in through the hole she'd cut in the shuttle's roof, knocking two troops out with a low sweep kick before entering a combat stance. She held a blaster in one hand, and her other hand was aglow with energy.

Aurora looked back to her through her visor, then turned to her copilot. "Take the controls. I'll handle this." She then got up and walked over to Sapphira, smiling. "So we meet again, Knydaxian." She had tangled with Sapphira a few times at this point, and her hatred for the young hybrid was just as strong as ever. Their rivalry had become something akin to a game, in which Sapphira's challenge was simply to try and catch Aurora before she got away again.

"You won't escape this time, Aurora," Sapphira ordered, holding out her blaster. "Give up now, and you might only have to spend the next twenty years rotting in Sargasso Prison instead of fifty."

Aurora chuckled. "Please, Lieutenant Frost. If anyone is going to be rotting, it's going to be you." She then launched forward, punching Sapphira in the jaw.

Sapphira staggered, her gun knocked out of her hand. She then came to her senses and fired an energy blast from her free hand at Aurora, but the Cerberus agent dodged it with a calm, almost graceful movement.

Aurora flew back at her with a kick to the face, knocking off her helmet and sending her flying into the shuttle wall, the impact damaging her suit's thrusters. "You're getting sloppy, Sapphira," Aurora taunted. "I've fought Krogans more agile than you."

Sapphira transformed to her true form and flew at Aurora again, pinning her to the wall. "You wanna run that by me again?" she asked in a cocky voice.

Aurora chuckled. "Not really. I don't like to repeat myself." She looked at the pilot and smiled. "Private, let's jettison this waste!"

The Cerberus pilot pressed a button on his console, and the bay doors opposite to Sapphira and Aurora opened up. Aurora smirked. "Better luck next time, Lieutenant." With that, she kicked Sapphira in the gut with all of her strength, sending the Knydaxian flying out of the shuttle.

Sapphira cried as she fell towards the ground, unable to slow her descent because of her damaged thrusters. Suddenly, she felt something catch her, embracing her with strong arms.

"You need to work on your exits, Sapphira," Commander Amari told her. Sapphira had found the rest of her team, already in pursuit of the shuttle, with Commander Kira Yamato and Lieutenant Athrun Zala on hovercycles and Fareeha in her Raptora suit.

Sapphira blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Let's not tell Melody about this, okay?"

"Less talking! More shooting!" Kira interjected, firing a few laser rounds at the shuttlecraft from the cannon on the front of his cycle.

The shuttle dodged the shots with ease and its rear guns opened fire on the hovercycles, sending bolts of heavy plasma in their direction. Kira and Athrun both maneuvered out of the way, but the bolts kept on traveling, destroying two vehicles in the skyway behind them.

"No!" Sapphira cried, watching helplessly.

"Don't worry about that now," Athrun told her. "We'll have time to clean up that mess later."

"Athrun, we literally just saw two cars explode!" Sapphira shouted.

"Both of you, be quiet!" Fareeha interrupted. "Arguing won't change anything. But bringing the people responsible to justice will."

Sapphira sighed. "You're right." She then tapped her commbadge. "Kristoff, we're in pursuit of the shuttle."

"Good," Kristoff replied. "They won't be able to get off-world; that shuttle was in for repairs when they stole it. They're gonna try and make it to the spaceport, but Shepard and I have a whole squad of marines waiting for them. This time, it's gonna be Aurora in a trap instead of us."

"Let's hope it works," Sapphira said. She then looked at Athrun and Kira. "Guys, we need to put up more pressure if Kristoff's plan is gonna work."

"Well, I'm open for ideas," Kira stated.

"Fareeha, give me a boost," Sapphira instructed. "Get me on top of that shuttle. I can use my energy to mess up the pilot's vision. When I give the signal, you guys hit their engines with everything you've got."

"Sounds pretty risky," Athrun said. "Even for you."

"Hey, if it weren't risky, I wouldn't enjoy it," Sapphira joked.

"Alright, Saph," Fareeha said. "Whenever you're ready." She flew up close to the shuttle, her boosters ready to overcharge.

Sapphira closed her eyes, waiting for the right moment. "Now!"

Fareeha jetted forward at high speed, launching Saph towards the shuttle. The young hybrid transformed into her true form again, pushing herself forward and landing on the canopy of the shuttle, peeking in through the windscreen.

Aurora glared at her coldly through the glass. "You again. Don't you ever give up?"

"Sorry, Aurora," Sapphira replied, holding her hands close together and conjuring a ball of energy. "Your flight's been cancelled." The energy in her hands grew brighter and brighter, until it seemed to be glowing as brightly as a star.

" _My eyes!_ " the pilot cried, covering his eyes with his hands.

Aurora growled angrily as the shuttle started to lose control.

Sapphira jetted off into the sky, flying with her own energy. "Okay, guys, light 'em up!" she declared. Kira, Athrun, and Fareeha began to open fire on the shuttle with lasers and missiles, and Sapphira joined in with a beam of energy. The combined attack destroyed the shuttle's engines, causing it to fall from the sky and into the area below, crashing and skidding to a halt in front of the nearby spaceport terminal.

Kristoff, Commander Shepard, and the marines headed towards the shuttle, blasters pointed and ready to fire.

"Alright, Aurora," Kristoff said. "Come out quietly."

The hatch of the shuttle burst open and Aurora climbed out, bruised and scratched but otherwise unscathed. "Oh, brilliant. This just keeps getting better and better."

"Put your hands where we can see them!" Shepard demanded, walking close to her.

Aurora sighed in defeat, raising her hands. "Fine, fine, you win."

As she and the pilot were apprehended and put in restraints, Sapphira and her team arrived. "What did we miss?" the lieutenant asked.

"Your friend Aurora just gave herself up," Shepard replied. "I don't know about you, but this feels like it was too easy."

"You're probably right," Kristoff said as he walked over to the wrecked shuttle, "but at this point, a win is still a win." He pried open the cargo bay doors, finding the ion cell's container lying on the floor inside. "Looks like the cell is intact, thank God."

Shepard leaned against the side of the shuttle, folding her arms. "I figured it would've gone up the second the shuttle hit the ground," she mused. "Those containers must be made of tougher materials than I thought."

"I'm just glad we got the thing at all," Kristoff said. Ever since Captain Frost and her wife had left him in charge of the Archangel, he'd been faced with a long list of missions gone bad for one reason or another. But now, for the first time in weeks, he and his crew had not only accomplished their mission, but had done so with minimal loss of life.

Melody soon arrived, with a hand-held device to deactivate the ion cell. "I'll prep it for transport back to the Archangel, sir."

"Do that, Melody," Kristoff instructed. "I think we can call it quits for now."

Melody opened up the container and waved her device over the ion cell, but nothing happened. "What the hell…?" She waved it over the cell again. Still nothing. "Admiral, I think something's wrong with my ionic nullifier."

Kristoff looked over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it doesn't seem to be registering any sort of ion energy in the cell," Melody explained. "Which means either the nullifier's busted, or…." She reached out and touched the cell. Ordinarily, touching an unprotected ion cell would result in an electric shock with the strength of thirty bolts of lightning combined-but this one had no effect. "Or this isn't a real ion cell."

The admiral's eyebrows furrowed in rage. He picked up the cell and threw it onto the ground. The cell's image immediately faded upon contact with the pavement, leaving only the broken bits of a small electronic box behind.

"A holo-cube," Melody realized. "Cerberus punked us."

Kristoff angrily stormed out of the shuttle and went to Aurora, grabbing her neck and hoisting her in the air. "Where the fuck is the ion cell, Aurora?!"

Aurora chuckled. "Now, now, Admiral, I think you're breaking some sort of convention here."

"ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION!" Kristoff shouted, seething with fury by this point.

Aurora merely smiled calmly. "Since you asked so politely: it's probably on its way to the Illusive Man by now. I stole the shuttle to draw your attention, and I used that holo-cube to make sure you'd follow me. My associates Hanzo and Genji have the real ion cell, and they're on their way to the other rendezvous point."

"Where is it?" Kristoff asked again.

"Binary Plaza," she answered. "Not that it matters; you'll never get there in time. I'm afraid you lose again, Admiral Bjorgman." She then broke free of her restraints and made a run for it.

"Stop her!" Kira cried.

Sapphira took out her blaster and took a few shots at Aurora, but the agent had already gotten onto Kira's hovercycle and taken off, heading away from the scene.

The hybrid girl scowled. " _Ku'rosa'kirushh,_ " she growled.

Melody put her hand on her wife's shoulder. "It's alright, Saph. We've got other things to worry about."

Sapphira sighed. "Let's go get that cell…again."

xXx

Meanwhile, in a Cerberus dropship on the other side of the city, Hanzo and Genji were in the cargo hold, keeping an eye on the real ion cell. It had been an easy task for them. Breach an Asari lab on one of the tallest building in the city, take the cell and now get it back to base.

Genji chuckled in his modulated voice, the green optics of his mask glowing. "This was all too easy. When the Alliance realizes they have been fooled, we will have disappeared…like smoke in the night wind."

"Don't be too proud of yourself, brother," Hanzo mused, putting his mouth guard back on. "We still must deliver the payload."

"As if that will be difficult," Genji remarked, folding his arms.

"Approaching Binary Plaza now, sirs," the pilot told them.

"Good. Tell Commander Roanoke that we're here," Hanzo instructed. "The sooner we're off this planet, the better."

The ship came to a landing in the plaza, several civilians fleeing in panic and fear as the Cerberus troops disembarked.

As he walked down the landing ramp, Genji turned to Hanzo. "Bring the core."

Hanzo nodded, picking up the ion cell. "To think that within this container lies the power of a star."

"And that power can be harnessed for a near-limitless source of energy," Genji stated. "Perhaps after this, we can finally leave these Cerberus dogs."

"Agreed," Hanzo stated. "Come on, let's get off this planet."

They walked to the center of the plaza, Neo Roanoke beaming down in a transporter beam to greet them. "Ah, the Shimada brothers. I trust the package is intact?" he inquired, smirking confidently.

Genji bowed in respect, and Hanzo presented the container to Neo. The Cerberus commander examined it for a moment before taking it from the bowman's hands.

"Good." he accepted. "Now, let's hope Aurora's little distraction paid off."

"Guess again, slaglick!" a voice shouted. Sapphira Frost landed next to them in her _ikaru_ form, an angry expression on her face. "Hand over the ion cell, and you won't get hurt."

A pair of shuttles arrived alongside her, revealing the rest of the Archangel and Normandy teams. Soon, Neo and the two cyborgs were surrounded by over a dozen of the Alliance's best troops.

Sapphira's angry frown turned up in a slight smirk. "Well, you won't get hurt _badly_."

"I'd do what my goddaughter says, Roanoke," Kristoff warned him, pointing a blaster rifle at the masked man's chest, a stern look on his face. "Surrender, and this doesn't get messy."

Neo smiled. "Alright, Admiral Bjorgman. I'll give you the ion cell." He looked at Hanzo and Genji and nodded at them before returning his gaze to Kristoff. "Here," he said calmly, setting it on the ground in front of him. "Take it."

Kristoff looked at him skeptically. "If you're lying…."

Neo chuckled. "I'm many things, Admiral, but an idiot isn't one of them. It'd be pointless to try anything with this many blasters pointed at me. Take your cell, and my associates and I will be on our way."

Kristoff frowned. "You don't mind if I make sure that this one is genuine, do you?" He took the ion nullifier from Melody and walked over to the container, opening it and waving the device over the cell's metal casing. The instrument pinged, signifying that this was indeed the real thing.

"Glad to see your sense of trust is with you, Admiral," Neo remarked. He pressed his omni-tool. "Neo to Providence. Three to beam up." Neo and and his accomplices were beamed up to the Cerberus ship in orbit, leaving Kristoff and the others down below.

"They gave up without a fight?" Kira asked. "That's very un-Cerberus."

Sapphira then heard something. A soft beeping noise, very reminiscent of a timer. "Hey, anyone hear that beeping?"

Kristoff looked on the side of the ion cell, seeing a small detonator magnetically attached to the underside of its casing. "Shit-it's a bomb!" He dropped it on the ground. "Saph, force field! Everyone else, _HIT THE DECK!_ "

Sapphira projected a large shield around them as the ion cell exploded in a flash of blue light, a loud _BWOOOOOOMMMM_ rocking the buildings around them. When the dust settled, everyone saw that the entire plaza had been wrecked, buildings and vehicles were damaged and some civilians were buried under rubble.

"Well, that just happened," Kira remarked, putting his gun down.

Kristoff sighed. "Well, that's just prime."

Sapphira looked over the destruction, filled with shock and sadness. "By all the spirits."

Kristoff then shook his head in defeat. "It's been another one of those days."

xXx

 _Captain's log, Stardate 50250.3: Admiral Kristoff Bjorgman speaking. After the mission on Ilium ended in failure, our crew's morale is very low. The departure of Captain Frost and her wife left a pretty big hole here, and today, we felt the worst of it._

Kristoff and the senior officers sat in the Archangel's conference room, all with gloomy looks on their faces. There hadn't been any casualties from the blast on Ilium, but people were injured and property was destroyed. That was something that weighed heavy on people's minds.

"We should've found out that Aurora was a decoy sooner," Kira muttered. "I mean, we should've known better after she tried to kill us on Desponia."

"What's done is done, Kira," his sister Cagali told him. "What matters is that we got the civilians to safety."

"Kira's got a point, though," Sapphira replied. "If any of us had thought to check that cell, we could've prevented that explosion and no one would've gotten hurt."

"Your mom probably would've been that person, Saph," Melody put in. "Let's face it. Ever since Captain Frost left the crew, it's been one failed mission after another. "

Kristoff sighed. "I know you're all still down about Elsa, but you have to remember why she left in the first place. She didn't want to be a burden on us after that whole mess with Saren and the Geth."

"We know, Kristoff," Ariel acknowledged. "But still it doesn't take an empath to know that things aren't right around here. Elsa and Anna were a big part of this crew, and if I may be blunt, I don't see how we're going to continue on without them."

"That's kinda surprising coming from you, Mom," Melody remarked. "I mean, Elsa did go to you for advice after she was saved from the control of that Reaper thing."

"I know it's strange for me to say this, but I don't think Elsa should have left the crew," Ariel stated. "Kristoff, we need her back. Not just for the sake of the crew, but for her own sake as well. After everything she went through, I can't even begin to fathom how the trauma could be affecting her."

"Has anyone been in touch with Elsa since she left?" Kira asked.

"I've had a few messages from her," Sapphira said. "But she hasn't sent any in a while."

Kristoff had a thought. "You know, the winter festival on Arendelle is in a few days. Perhaps it would be a good time to go check up on her, see how she is."

"Kristoff, we don't need to take the Archangel," Sapphira said. "I'll just take Melody and her mom in a shuttle to see the Captain."

"She has a point," Cagali agreed. "I mean, something could come up at any time. It's best if it's just Elsa's family."

"Alright," Kristoff agreed. "Sapphira, Melody, Ariel, as of today, you're all on shore leave." He smiled. "Give Captain Frost and Anna our regards."

As everyone left the room, Melody giggled. "I've never been to Arendelle for Christmas before," she stated.

"Oh trust me, little seashell," Ariel told her, "it's a sight to behold."

"And it's not Christmas," Sapphira corrected her. "We call it Jular's Day, after the ancient Arendellian spirit of happiness."

"It's the same thing though!" Melody argued. "A guy in a red suit goes around to people's houses, dropping presents under trees."

"Yeah, but Santa doesn't have big wings and four arms," Sapphira replied.

Ariel chuckled. "Come on, you two. We've got some packing to do."

xXx

Two days later, an Alliance shuttlecraft dropped out of warp over Arendelle, with Sapphira, Melody and Ariel onboard. Each of them was wearing very casual clothing for the snow and ice that would be all over Arendelle at this time of year.

"Approaching Arendelle now," Sapphira stated. "Man, it feels like it's been ages since we've been here."

Melody smiled. "So…you been in touch with your cute big sister lately?" she asked. Sapphira's older sister/future self Kiara had left the Archangel around the same time Elsa did, wanting to explore the galaxy on her own.

"Kiara? Well, I heard she met some girl named Maya, but I don't know if they're in a relationship or whatever."

"And where did she meet her?"

"Well, she said she'd been trying on doing some mercenary work on some planet called Pandora. Apparently it's been going well for her."

"Mercenary work?" Ariel asked. "What kind?"

Sapphira shrugged. "Something about a corporation taking control of the planet and mining for iridium."

"Sounds like what the Zetans used to do," Melody commented.

"Well, from what Kiara told me, she's working with a bunch of other mercs to tell that corporation to go fuck themselves and apparently they're doing quite well."

"Sounds pretty cool," Melody mused. "I bet it pays pretty well too. Maybe we could go give them a hand sometime."

"Well, if Kiara's told me the truth, Mel," Sapphira explained, "then Pandora isn't a place you'd want to visit."

"Well, considering the name is from an Earth legend about a girl who fucks everything up, I can see why," Melody responded.

Ariel smiled. "I see someone remembers their Earth history."

"I'll tell you more about it later," Sapphira said, landing the shuttlecraft outside of the royal palace. "I think my moms are staying here."

Ariel looked around as she got out of the shuttle, smiling at the sight of restored buildings. "I see they've managed to rebuild after the Geth attack."

"Can't beat Arendellian ingenuity," Melody replied. "Kick this planet down and it keeps getting back up."

"No kidding," Sapphira agreed. "Mom told me the city took a lot longer to rebuild after the Zetans left."

At that moment, Elsa's cousin Princess Rapunzel walked out, wearing a dark red, furry winter dress and cloak. "Ariel, Sapphira, good to see you!" she said jovially.

"Hey, Aunt Punzie!" Sapphira replied excitedly, hugging her tightly. "It's good to see you too."

Ariel smiled. "You look beautiful as ever, Rapunzel."

"Thank you," Rapunzel responded, pulling back from her embrace with Sapphira. "You do as well, Counselor Ansaris."

Sapphira met her cousin's eyes. "Punzie, we need to go and see my moms. Do you know if they're here? It's really important."

Rapunzel shook her head. "No, I'm afraid they aren't here, and they haven't been here for quite a while. I'm sorry."

"Oh?" Ariel raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Then where did they go?"

"To the royal estate up in the mountains," Rapunzel explained. "It's where Elsa and I grew up. Elsa thought it would be a good place to recover from…you know."

"I see," Ariel accepted. "Have you spoken to her since then?"

"No, she and Anna have been very closed off these days," Rapunzel told her. "Elsa's even temporarily abdicated the throne too."

"Abdicated?!" Sapphira exclaimed in shock.

"Only for a while," the princess assured her. "Until she comes back, it's been me and a few ministers in charge of the place. And trust me, they aren't exactly the friendliest sort."

Sapphira sighed sadly. "Get back in the shuttle, girls. We're going up there. I need to see them."

Rapunzel took out an omni-tool, pressing a few buttons. "I've sent you the coordinates. I'm sorry I'm not much help."

"It's alright, Rapunzel," Ariel told her. "You've been a big help. We'll call back later if we need anything else."

The three of them got back into the shuttle, taking off into the air and heading for the mountains north of the capital.

Sapphira was gripping the steering mechanism tightly, her mind focused on her mother.

"Are you okay, Saph?" Melody asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No," Ariel said quietly to her daughter. "Leave her alone, seashell. She's very worried about her family."

Sapphira sighed. After all her parents had done for the galaxy, to just end up in the mountains like a pair of hermits…it just didn't feel right. If they wanted peace, why didn't they go back to their home on Aquatus? One thing was for certain right now: Sapphira needed answers.

The shuttle landed silently in a clearing beside the rather large house in the mountains, and Sapphira stood up. "Come on. We're getting answers."

The house was very old, reminiscent of an old Earth manor house like many of the buildings on Arendelle. It was beside a large lake that had frozen over in the cold, and a group of young children were playing in the snow nearby.

"Seems very peaceful," Melody noted.

"I wonder who these children are?" Ariel wondered, noticing that one of the children playing the snow was an Asari. "Some of them don't seem from around here."

Sapphira didn't respond. She just needed to see her mother. She walked to the front door, raising her fist to bang on it. She then stopped and took a breath, then knocked in a more calm manner.

The door opened and a small robot rolled out onto the front step. It resembled two white spheres placed on top of each other, and it had a holographic display for a face. "Hi!" it said in a cheery tone. "I'm OLAF. What can I do for you?"

"The hell is that?" Melody asked.

The robot looked up at Melody. "I'm Knight Industries' OLAF," it answered. "Omnidirectional, Linguistics, and Advanced Functionality. I was made in answer to the Hyperion corporation's CL4P-TP steward bots."

"Mom must've needed her own Angel here," Sapphira mused. "OLAF, is it? We need to find Elsa. Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, why?" it asked.

"Because I need to talk to her."

It blinked. "Yeah, why?" it repeated.

"I'm her daughter."

"Oh, yeah, you are! You're Sapphira. I have all your baby pictures in my mainframe!" The robot chimed and a happy face emoticon appeared on its display.

Melody giggled and Sapphira rolled her eyes, slightly embarrassed. "Just shut up and take us to my mom," she said coldly.

As if on cue, Anna walked into the room. "Who is it, OLAF?" she asked. Her eyes widened as she saw her daughter. "Sapphira?"

Sapphira's eyes widened too. Her mother had her hair up like she was on duty on the Archangel, and was wearing a blue winter coat with a long dress. She ran over and threw her arms around her. "Mama!" she exclaimed.

"Sapphira," Anna sighed, hugging her daughter tight. "Well, you're someone we weren't expecting to drop by."

"We need to talk to Mom," Sapphira then said. "Where is she?"

"Right here," a voice said to them. Elsa then walked downstairs, wearing a beautiful winter dress with a long flowing cape, and a furry white collar around her shoulders. All of the implants from her face were gone, and a warm smile was on her lips. "Hello, Sapphira. It's so good to see you."

Sapphira ran and hugged her tightly. "I've missed you so much, Mommy," she murmured, sounding like she was close to tears.

Elsa stroked her daughter's hair, smiling. "I've missed you too. It's been so long since I've seen your face."

Sapphira then looked at Elsa's face. "I see you finally got all the implants out."

"Dr. Ziegler got me in touch with some very talented surgeons here on Arendelle," Elsa explained. She looked at her daughter with love and devotion. "It makes me so happy to see you here, Sapphira."

"Actually, Mom...I brought Melody and Mrs. Ansaris too."

Ariel giggled. "We've been through this, Saph. You can just call me Ariel."

Elsa smiled, and blushed softly. "Ariel, Melody, it's good to see you too. Is anyone else with you?"

"No, it's just us," Melody answered. "We figured it was best if this was a family affair."

"Well, you're all welcome to stay as long as you'd like," Elsa said. "We were just about to have some roast Zriak for dinner. OLAF, call the kids in, will you?"

"Of course, Elsa," he replied. He rolled out of the door towards the children. "Alright kids, it's dinner time!"

Sapphira looked at her mother, confused. "Kids? Wait, did you and Mama…?"

Elsa shook her head and walked over to Sapphira as the children rushed into the manor. "They aren't mine and your mother's," she explained. "They're orphans, mostly. Some from the Zetan War, others from the Saren fiasco." Elsa led them all into the dining hall. "We're just giving them a home."

Several other robots like OLAF rolled in, setting the table for dinner. All of the children sat down and set about tucking into their meal.

Sapphira noticed some distinctive black tattoos on the arms of one of the young boys. "Wait...are some of them…?"

Anna nodded. "Yes, some of them are Knydaxians. Others were hybrids, like you. I guess I wasn't the only one who escaped, huh?"

Sapphira smiled at the young boy. "Hey, little guy. I couldn't help noticing your tattoos. Are you Knydaxian?"

He nodded. "Yeah! I'm super tough!" he said in broken English. His hand then glowed bright blue.

"Why did you bring them here, Elsa?" Ariel inquired. "Surely an orphanage for these youngsters would be better."

"I guess it's my way of making up for what happened," Elsa replied. "For being away from Arendelle during the war, and for what happened with Saren." She then sighed and looked down.

Ariel sighed. She could sense that Elsa still had a lot of pain buried inside of her. "Could we talk in private, please? I'd rather not see you in this kind of state around Anna and the kids."

Elsa nodded. "Of course, we'll talk in my room." She looked at Anna. "Sweetie, could you make sure the kids behave themselves while I'm gone?"

Anna nodded. "Of course!" She then walked over the kids. "Who wants Jular Cake?!" she cheered. Elsa and Ariel could hear the children's gleeful cries as they went upstairs.

When Elsa and Ariel retreated to Elsa's room, Ariel met the Arendellian's eyes. "Tell me the truth, Elsa. Why did you leave the throne?"

Elsa sighed, having feared Ariel would bring up that subject. "Ariel, I didn't leave the throne. I'm sure Rapunzel explained it to you. I only abdicated temporarily."

"It's the same thing, Elsa," Ariel argued.

"Look, it's not like I'm giving up on my planet."

"Yeah, it kind of is," Ariel told her. "You used to tell me that being in command was something you took seriously, yet you're not even doing what you were basically born to do. I can sense that you're bottling up a lot of pain. Tell me what's causing it."

"I'd rather not," Elsa told her, looking out of the window and tracing her finger along the glass. "I just want to be here. With these children, and with Anna."

"Elsa, this isn't healthy for you," Ariel told her. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Healthy?!" Elsa snapped, whipping around to face Ariel. "Was being used as a fucking puppet by a creature from another dimension healthy? Was losing my parents when I was a child healthy?!"

Ariel sighed. "Elsa…."

"Let me show you something, Ariel," Elsa said sternly. She removed her cape and pulled the top of her dress downward, revealing a series of deep, red scars along her back. "This is what's left of the implants. The doctors couldn't heal them due to something that Sovereign did to me. _This_ is why I'm never going back to that life. I can't handle the scars anymore. The physical ones...or the mental ones."

Ariel looked down. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I didn't realise it was that bad for you. That the trauma was this…intense."

"Then you're a pretty terrible counselor," Elsa remarked, sitting on her bed. "I was born in this room, you know. 107 years ago, I was born in that bed. And It's the one I hope to die in."

Ariel looked down. "You have to come back, Elsa. You and Anna. Ever since you left, the Archangel's morale has been plummeting. I understand it's hard for you, but…we need you."

Elsa looked at her. "How bad has it been?"

"We haven't had a truly successful mission in weeks."

"I thought Kristoff would good in command."

"He is," Ariel explained. "But you were the glue that held the crew together. It's not the same without you, Elsa. I know you made that decision to leave the ship, and I agreed with you, but I never realised things could get to where they were."

Elsa sighed. "So that's why you and Sapphira came here. To beg me to come back. Well, Ariel, I'll save you the trouble. My answer is no. I'm sorry things are bad over there, I really am, but I can't face this all again. Not with my scars, or my nightmares."

Ariel sighed. "I understand, Elsa. If you want to stay here, that's your decision. All I ask is that you try to recover. Move on with your life, and give your mental scars a chance to heal."

"I am moving on with my life. Anna and I are happy here, and these children are going to grow up knowing that Elsa Frost was a good person, not a murderous monster who killed innocent people and…and..." Elsa then broke down in tears, covering her face with her hands. She could see the faces of those that had been killed because of her. Some died to Hans, some to Saren, some to Sovereign…and all of it had been her fault. She had failed them. All she wanted now was to be alone, so that nobody could ever see her shame.

Ariel hugged Elsa tightly, resting her head on the Arendellian queen's shoulder. "You're not a monster, Elsa. You're a strong, brave woman."

Elsa sniffed. "I'm sorry, I just…break down like that when I'm stressed."

The Aquatan looked at Elsa. "You need to see a counselor, Elsa. A professional one. Someone who can help you to recover emotionally from what happened."

Elsa held Ariel's hand. "I'd prefer to see you. I'm more comfortable talking about my problems with people I know."

"Then let me help you," Ariel requested "Come back, Elsa. The ship is a wreck without you."

Elsa nodded in half-acknowledgement. "I'm not making any promises, Ari."

Ariel smiled. "That's okay. Now come on, I'm sure Anna is missing you already."

xXx

Back downstairs, Anna and Sapphira were with the children as they ate their dinner, tucking into some roast Zriak themselves.

"Mmmm, this is good meat," Anna said, chewing on a piece of wing. "They never had stuff like this on Thespis Prime when I was young."

Sapphira smiled. "I'm surprised you're all festive, Mama. From what you told me, Knydaxians don't have any winter celebrations."

"We didn't even have winter," Anna told her daughter. "Thespis Prime was a tropical planet all year round. But after Elsa told me about Christmas and Jular's Day, I lovingly embraced it…mostly because of the food." She giggled slightly.

Sapphira chuckled. She loved seeing her mother happy like this, all full of life.

"So…how has my favourite _kokuri_ been doing?" Anna asked, putting down her empty plate.

Sapphira sighed. "Not well, Mama. The ship...well, it's been a wreck without you and Mom."

"I can imagine," Anna said. "But your mother had to leave when she did, and I had to go with her. She and I share a strong bond: she's my _nira_ , my _tudko_ , and my wife."

"I know, Mama. I know," Sapphira said, nodding.

Anna smiled, stroking her daughter's cheek. "By the way, I love what you've done with your hair."

Sapphira blushed. She had recently had her hair cut short, and had dyed the tips of her hair bright pink. "Thanks. I just wanted a change."

"It suits you," Anna told her. "It reminds me of how you were when you were younger."

Sapphira giggled. "I missed you, Mama."

Melody, meanwhile, was on the other side of the room, flicking through channels on the holo TV. "Jeez, even on the other side of the galaxy, there's nothing to watch."

Sapphira smiled. "I'm sure there's something on there that you'll like, Mel."

"Eh, I'll just put the news on instead," Melody said with a shrug.

Melody tapped her omni-tool as the holo-screen changed to show a large building in one of Arendelle's northern cities. There seemed to be a large crowd gathered in front of the building, with a man standing on a stage addressing the audience. "Huh, what's this?" she muttered.

An Asari news reporter moved onto the screen, clearing her throat. "We're live at Svellheim, here in the northern regions of Arendelle. As you can see from the area around me, this entire city is being battered by one of the planet's winter blizzards, meaning a lot of power is being cut off. On the stage is Senator Treize Khushrenada, who claims to have invented a new way of restoring power to Arendelle's northern cities."

The cameras then changed to show the man on the stage. He was an Arendellian man, with hair a darker blonde than most Arendellians. He was wearing a blue winter cloak, underneath which was the uniform of an Arendellian aristocrat, white leggings, blue tunic with golden buttons and linings. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time," he said. "As you all know, during the winter months, the northern and southern regions close to our world's poles are battered by these horrendous storms, and quite often, the people in those regions are without power, without warmth, for hours, even days on end. But from this day forward, those people will never be cold on Jular's Day again. For my organisation, the Zodiac Institute, has the solution."

He then pointed to the large building behind him. "In that building is a device which we call the Cryonic Acceleration Generator. It is a powerful plasma core that has been infused with a few of our planet's blue ice crystals-crystals that, I'm sure you know, are used in the crystallic fusion drives of the Galactic Alliance starships. Now, these crystals absorb all the cold and winter air around them to create energy, and from this energy, we are going to re-power this entire city."

"That can't be right," Melody muttered.

The large building behind Treize started to glow, and energy began flowing out through the power conduits. Across the entire city, every electrically powered device, from lights to appliances to holo-devices, switched on.

The crowd in front clapped in praise of Treize's actions, the senator merely bowing in respect. "Thank you, thank you. I hope this little show of good faith has proven to you my dedication to the people of Arendelle."

Anna frowned. "I've seen that man before."

"Really? Who is he?" Sapphira inquired.

"He's one of the ministers on Rapunzel's council," the Knydaxian explained. "He was elected a few months ago, on a campaign based on nothing but lies about Elsa."

"Wait, what?" Melody asked in disbelief. "Everyone knows Elsa was innocent!"

"Well, that's the way with politicians, Mel," Sapphira said. "They blur the lines of the truth to make the public see their way, even if that way is completely wrong and false."

Anna sighed. "He spent months prattling on about how Elsa betrayed her homeworld, without even mentioning how broken she was. _Fryyz'merajji veran._ "

"Then why hasn't anyone done anything?" Sapphira demanded.

"Elsa said it's best we stay out of this," Anna explained. "After Sovereign, we're in enough hot water as it is."

"He's the reason why I had to leave the throne for a while," Elsa then said, entering the room with Ariel. "I knew that as long as he was around, the people would despise me."

"Mom, you're back." Sapphira got up and hugged her.

Elsa hugged her daughter. "I'm glad you came by, Sapphira. Seeing you has helped me quite a bit."

Melody looked confused. "Elsa, did you know about this Cryonic Acceleration Generator that this Treize guy has put up in one of the northern cities?"

Elsa thought for a moment. "Rapunzel mentioned it to me in a letter a while ago. But…I never reply to her messages anymore."

Ariel then put her hand on Elsa's shoulder. "It's alright, Elsa," she said softly.

"Why did you ask, Mel?" Sapphira inquired.

"Because I think that he's up to something," Melody said. "There's no way you can harness that much energy from a few little ice crystals, especially not Arendellian crystals. It'd take at least a hundred of those little bastards, and even then it'd be iffy at best. I feel like there's more going on with that thing than Treize is letting on."

Elsa sighed. "It doesn't matter. I'm not the queen anymore; whatever he's doing, I don't have the power to stop."

"No, but Rapunzel does," Ariel said. "I'll go with Melody back to the capital. Perhaps we can look into this."

"Very well, but be careful," Elsa cautioned her. "Treize has a lot of influence with the people, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"We will be. And Elsa?" Ariel added. "Please don't ignore your cousin's messages. I could sense that she misses you."

Elsa nodded, smiling a little bit. "I'll get to work on replying to them after dinner."

"I'll make sure she does," Anna put in. "Even if I have to tie her hands to the desk with an energy whip."

"Good," Ariel said. "Come on, seashell. We've got work to do."

"Coming, Mom," Melody replied. She glanced over at Sapphira. "See you soon, Saph. Don't get into too much trouble without me."

"I'm not making any promises," Sapphira told her with a wink.

xXx

A couple of hours later, Ariel and Melody were back in the Arendelle capital, landing their shuttle outside of the palace just like before.

"You sure Rapunzel will be able to do anything about this?" Melody asked. "I mean, all of this is based on me making a guess."

Ariel smiled at her daughter. "You're my little girl, Melody. We both have a keen instinct when it comes to things like this. Rapunzel may not be queen, but she does have some power over this planet."

"Let's hope so," Melody agreed.

The two of them headed into the palace, looking around for Rapunzel. There were many guests lining the corridors and halls, as they had arrived for the Jular's Day ball. Nobles and officials from all over the planet were gathered in this one place.

"So many rich old geezers here," Melody muttered, feeling slightly grossed out.

"Stay close to me, seashell," Ariel cautioned. "I'm picking up a lot of…less-than-good feelings from them."

"You don't need to be an empath to sense that," Melody remarked.

Ariel then looked forward. "Look there's Rapunzel." She then pointed to the princess, who was in conversation with a few of the noblemen and women. And one of them, they noticed, was Treize Khushrenada.

"And looks like that slimeball is with her," Melody mused.

"Then it's time I showed you the finer arts of diplomacy, Melody," Ariel stated. "Watch and learn." Ariel then walked over the crowd, clearing her throat to get their attention. "Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel looked over at Ariel. "Oh, Counselor Ansaris," she greeted her with a smile. "Did you manage to find Elsa okay?"

"Yes, she was perfectly fine," Ariel told her. "And Anna too."

Treize then turned and smiled at Ariel warmly. "Princess, who is your beautiful friend?"

"Oh, this is Ariel Ansaris," Rapunzel replied. "She's a friend of my cousin's."

"Ah yes, Councilor Triton's sister, the one who serves on the Archangel," Treize said, recognising her. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear." He bowed and kissed her hand. "I'm Treize Khushrenada, of the Zodiac Institute. I assume you saw my broadcast on the news a few hours ago."

"Yes, Mr. Khushrenada," Ariel said. "In fact, I actually came to see you about that."

"Oh? And why would the daughter of the esteemed Ambassador Triton have any interest in my work?"

"Let's just say it's a favour for my daughter," Ariel remarked. "Quite frankly, Mr. Khushrenada, she's a bit concerned about your new project to restore power to Arendelle's northern regions. She has doubts about the strength of your generator's power source."

"Ah, curiosity." Treize sipped a drink. "You see, Princess? I told you there would be great interest in my work."

Melody scowled at the pair of them. _Sweet Poseidon,_ she thought, _this asshat makes Hans look humble._

"Well, Miss Triton-" Treize started to say.

"It's Ansaris now," Ariel interrupted. "Counselor Ariel Ansaris."

"Ah, yes, of course," the senator acknowledged smoothly. "Well, Counselor Ansaris, I'd be happy to give you and your daughter a guided tour of the facility, if you like. Any friend of the Queen's is a friend of mine. How is Her Majesty, by the way?"

"That's none of your concern," Ariel told him. "Not since you've been crying foul of her in the news."

"Oh, that's just an act, my dear," Treize explained. "I was merely following…developing trends, if you will. Elsa was involved with the Geth, and even if it was against her will, the people still see her as something of a threat. I personally have no ill will towards her."

"I beg to differ," Ariel argued.

"Just come with me to my facility in Svellheim, and I'll prove to you that there is absolutely nothing to worry about," Treize offered again.

"Very well," the Aquatan acquiesced. "We'll come and see your facility."

"Good. I'll go and make the arrangements." With that, he walked away.

Once he was gone, Ariel took Rapunzel aside. "Rapunzel, how can you be so friendly to him? You know he's the reason Elsa had to leave."

"Ariel, I get what you're saying, but Treize isn't exactly a criminal here," Rapunzel said. "He's a politician first and foremost, and unfortunately, badmouthing Elsa isn't a crime. If it were, I'd have banished him to an offworld colony by now."

Ariel sighed. "I know, I know, but I can sense he's got some agenda. The way he was presenting himself…." She shuddered a bit. "It was so pandering, it made my skin crawl."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him for you," Rapunzel promised.

Melody walked up to them both. "So, did you get all the info you wanted out of him?"

"Not exactly, seashell," Ariel told her. "It looks like we're going on a field trip."

xXx

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the ballroom, Treize Khushrenada took a holo-communicator from his pocket and held it in his hand, activating it. Soon, a hologram of two female Turians in combat armour appeared. "What do you need, Treize?" one of them asked.

"Ah, Gemini," Treize said calmly. "It appears Elsa Frost has sent her messengers to investigate my plan. It won't be long before she catches on to the rest of our little scheme."

"And this concerns us how?" the other inquired in a bored tone.

"I want you to go and pay her a visit, get her fully onto our trail. I'll deal with Elsa's friend, Counselor Ansaris."

"Consider it done," they said.

"Oh, and one more thing," Treize added. "Make sure that no one knows you're connected to me. I don't want Elsa tracing this back to me just yet."

"No problem," the sisters agreed, their hologram fading.

Treize smiled, looking out of a nearby window towards the northern mountains. "I hope you're having a pleasant evening, Your Majesty," he muttered. "Because soon, you'll have your precious reputation back…it's a pity you won't live to enjoy it."

xXx

 _Personal log, Stardate 50250.6: Lieutenant Sapphira Frost-Ansaris speaking. Melody and her mom are over in the capital, trying to get more info on this Treize guy. As for me, well…I'm gonna spend some quality time with my family._

"Think fast, little one!" Anna cheered, throwing a snowball at Sapphira.

Sapphira ducked out of the way, chucking a snowball back at her mother and hitting her in the face. "Gotcha!"

Anna chuckled. "I remember when I used to beat you at this."

"Yeah, but I got older, and faster," Sapphira smirked.

"That you have, and much stronger," Anna replied. "Speaking of which…have you been able to unlock more power from your golden form?"

Sapphira sighed. Ever since the battle with Sovereign, she had finally gotten the ability to transform into her Goddess of Light form at will, but doing so took a lot out of her. "No…and it's annoying. I remember when I first used that form, fighting against Hans. I felt like I had all of the energy in the universe at my fingertips, and now…now I don't."

Anna hugged her daughter. "For what it's worth, you've done amazing with the power you have."

Sapphira looked down. "I know, Mama. It's just…I want to get the full potential of that power back. So I can revive the rest of our people."

"Why would you want that?"

Sapphira shrugged, sitting down in the snow. "Wouldn't you?"

"Yes, but you shouldn't worry about the ones who gave their lives before you were born." Anna sat down beside Sapphira. "The Knydaxians who were killed at the hands of the Zetans died for us, Sapphira. My mother gave me up because she knew I would survive on my own, and continue the legacy of our people. And seeing these children with their powers…it's made me hopeful for the future."

"But what if someone comes back and has the power to end everything? What if we face another Hans, and you and Mom die again, and I can't bring you back…." Sapphira shed a few tears. "I'm just…scared to lose you again."

"Me too, but part of me knows you'll carry on. You always have, and you always will. Kiara is living proof of that."

Sapphira sniffled. "I…I guess so."

Elsa then walked out to them, a hooded cloak over her head and a smile on her face. "Hey, you two. Enjoying a late night snowball fight?"

Anna smiled. "Hey, _nira_. What's up?"

"I just heard from Ariel and Melody. They're going with Treize to look at that generator of his. Hopefully, they'll find something out."

"So…what happens if Melody was right?" Sapphira asked. "What happens if Treize really is up to something."

"I don't know yet, Sapphira," Elsa replied. "It's been a long time since I've been doing any of this hero stuff. Besides, any action I take could be seen as aggression or lashing out…and could make mine and Anna's situation worse."

"Mom, if this gets bad, you'll have to do something," Sapphira told her. "I mean, this is your home."

"Let me worry about your mother, Sapphira," Anna said to her. "You go and take care of the kids. I'm sure they could use some supervision."

Sapphira sighed. "Alright, but I want you to know that whatever happens, I'll be fighting for you." She smiled at Elsa. "I promise."

"I know you will, little sapphire," Elsa accepted.

As Sapphira left them, Anna walked up to Elsa, taking her wife's hands. "Are you okay, _tudko_?" she asked. "Be honest: do you wish Sapphira hadn't come?"

Elsa looked down. "I…I don't know, Anna. I thought I had put this life behind me, that I was done saving the whole galaxy time and time again. First with Hans, then Saren…and now someone from my own homeworld may be plotting to overthrow me. I don't know if I have the strength to face that."

Anna looked at Elsa. "Elsa, do you remember how scared we were when we were stranded on that moon near Geon IV?"

"I remember," Elsa replied. The memories of their time on that icy rock were still fresh in her mind.

"Do you remember how driven you were to find me a safe home, when I was already safe with you protecting me?"

"I do, but that was a lifetime ago. I'm not the same person I was back then."

"You are, Elsa," Anna said. "You're so much more than meets the eye. Everyone always knew you as a smuggler, but you were really a royal. And when the chance came, you took your place as queen."

"And got mind-controlled," the Arendellian reminded her wife.

"And that, but you still became queen." Anna looked into her wife's beautiful blue eyes. "We don't have to go back to that life, but…I want to make a difference again. And I know that somewhere, deep down in your hearts…you do too."

Elsa sighed. "I don't want to be a hero. I'm not strong enough."

"Yes you are. You already are a hero." She pointed to the stars in the night sky. "Some of those stars are still up there because of you. Our daughter traveled back in time because she wanted to save us. She wanted to save you." She sighed. "Elsa…you have to face it. You can't keep running away. That won't solve anything; it'll just make it worse.

"That's true, but-"

"But what? Why are you so afraid of being happy, Elsa?"

"Because…because it never feels right to me," Elsa admitted. "Anna, I love you more than anything, but I was scared about us being together back then. Before I met you, I had gone through a lot of shit in my life, and a lot of relationships that never worked out. I was scared that I would find a way to fuck everything up…I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"But you didn't fuck everything up, and we lived a happy, safe life. We had a home, friends, and a beautiful daughter."

"No…by some miracle, I didn't."

"It wasn't a miracle, Elsa," Anna told her. "It was you. The only one who can truly change your life is yourself. When you married me, you changed forever. And you can change again, _nira_." She placed her hands on Elsa's chest, feeling the beating of her hearts. "A long time ago, a girl found me hiding in a crate in her cargo hold. She saved my life twice…and she chose me to be her bride. That girl is still inside you, Elsa. I saw her in that moment when you called out to me at the Citadel…and I can see her now. And if you close your eyes and listen, you'll hear her."

Elsa did close her eyes for a moment or two, and a memory emerged from her subconscious:

" _If you kill him, will it make you feel any better? Will it bring that girl back to life?"_

" _It'll ease her conscience. She and those other girls deserved better. If it wasn't those Zetan bastards taking my home and selling them off as slaves and butchering them and…."_

" _Killing one criminal won't ease your pain."_

" _I've suffered so much…. Gods, I feel like such a fool."_

She didn't recall exactly what happened after that, but there was one moment that stuck out to her.

 _"I have a ship too. You take your ship, I'll take mine, and we'll meet on Decine."_

 _"Fair enough. See ya there, big guy."_

Elsa opened her eyes, exhaling slowly. She finally understood what Ariel had been talking about. She needed to face her fears, and overcome the trauma from her past; only then could she finally begin to heal. She wasn't a weak, broken young woman, nor was she a monster. She was Elsa Frost of Arendelle…and her friends, her _family_ , needed her. "You're right, Anna."

Anna cupped Elsa's cheeks, kissing her lips softly. "I always am."

xXx

 **Author's note:** Merry Christmas everyone! And Welcome to the Christmas Special of Last Knydaxian. Consider this little two part fic a sort of epilogue to the whole saga so far. I'll see you tomorrow on Christmas Day with Part 2. Have fun!

Also since their probably wont be room in the description of the fic, special thanks to Nona for once again supplying the cover art :3

Now for the Knydaxian Translations

"Ku'rosa'kirushh" = "Motherfucker."

"Fryyz'merajji veran" = "Cold-hearted bastard."


	2. Part 2

_Eternal Winter: Part 2_

Over at the city of Svellheim, Ariel, Melody and Rapunzel were flying through the sky in Treize's personal shuttle, bound for the new power facility at the center of the city.

"There she is, Counselor Ansaris," Treize said proudly, a beaming smile on his face. "My Cryonic Acceleration Generator. Isn't it a magnificent structure?"

Ariel looked at him coldly. "It's the inside we're concerned with, Mr. Khushrenada, not the outside."

Melody tried turning on her omni-tool, but found it wasn't working. "Hey, my omni-tool won't turn on."

"Is there something wrong with it?" Rapunzel asked. "I mean, it could just be a faulty holo-matrix."

"No, that's perfectly normal," Treize explained calmly. "A side effect of our proximity to the reactor. The energy it generates often disrupts holo-device functions."

"Really?" Melody asked skeptically. "Because if I understand this thing correctly, it's just a modified crystallic fusion warp drive. And the drive we have on the Archangel never gives us these kinds of problems."

"Ah, but your ship doesn't use mithrilite," Treize pointed out.

Ariel looked at Treize, frowning. She could sense that he was lying through his teeth, but she wasn't going to say anything, at least not yet. "If you don't mind my asking," she said, "what is mithrilite?"

"That's the name we gave to the type of crystals that Mr. Khushrenada is using," Rapunzel explained.

The shuttle soon landed, and Treize escorted the group inside of the building to the main control chamber. It was a vast room, with the large cryonic core suspended in the air by a series of tractor beams. There were various consoles all around the core, controlling its automated functions.

"What do you think?" Treize asked, hands on his hips.

"Very impressive, Mr. Khushrenada," Ariel replied. "Very impressive indeed."

Rapunzel looked over at him. "Hypothetically speaking, what would you do if this thing stopped working for some reason? Is there a backup system?"

"There are some wind turbines on the roof of the facility in case the cryonic core needs to be shut down," Treize answered, gesturing to the building's ceiling. "That way, the icy winds will still power this city, even when the core is not in use."

"And what happens if those turbines don't work?" Melody asked, concerned. "Because as an engineer, I can name at least ten ways those things could fall apart, and that's ruling out sabotage."

"I assure you, my organisation has thought of every outcome," Treize replied. "The Zodiac Institute is made up of some of the brightest minds on this planet, and nothing is more important to us than the safety of both employees and civilians."

"Be that as it may," Rapunzel put in, "you can understand our concerns. This is new technology, Treize. My friends and I just want to be sure that you're aware of the risks."

The senator opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, his holo-communicator beeped. "Pardon me, ladies," he excused. "I need to take this."

As he left the room, Ariel looked at Rapunzel. "Are you starting to doubt him?"

"Big time," the Arendellian confirmed. "I knew he was crafty, but I didn't need to be an empath to know he was hiding something. I could tell this whole thing was too good to be true."

"I think I can use my pocket scanner to get a closer look at that thing," Melody said. "It's no omni-tool, but it'll have to do." She then scanned the large core with the device, raising an eyebrow as she got a reading on its display. "Hmmm, that's weird."

"What's wrong, seashell?" Ariel asked.

"This machine, it's…well, it's absorbing the cold air and wind, like Treize said, but…it's not storing them. It's amplifying them, and then sending them outward."

Suddenly the entire facility shook as the core spontaneously lit up, the gentle humming emanating from it rising in pitch and intensity until it became a loud growl.

"What the hell!?" Rapunzel exclaimed, trying to catch her balance

Outside of the facility, the icy winds started to become stronger and faster, spreading farther away from the city and enveloping the area in a massive snowstorm.

"Melody, what's going on?" Ariel asked, shouting to be heard over the combined noise of the machine and the howling winds.

"I don't know!" Melody yelled back, trying to get a better reading with her scanner. "The generator just kicked into overdrive!"

Rapunzel scowled. "That bastard. This thing isn't a power source! He's trying to freeze the whole fucking planet!"

"And I bet he just took off," Ariel added.

"We can worry about him later," Melody told them. "Right now, we need to try shutting this thing down."

"Agreed," Ariel accepted. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"I'm gonna try and contact Elsa," Rapunzel told them, trying to get her omni-tool to work. "Hopefully, she's alright." The device then shorted out completely. "Damn it!"

"Well then," Melody remarked. "It looks like we're on our own. Princess, you and Mom stay here, try to slow down whatever this thing is doing. I'm gonna see if I can find a control room."

"Be careful, seashell," Ariel told her.

xXx

Back at the royal estate, Sapphira and Anna had noticed that the icy winds had made their way to their location, bringing with it a blizzard which covered the building in snow.

"Hey, the weather certainly picked up," Anna noted, hugging her waist to try and keep warm. "I don't remember this being on the forecast."

"We should get inside with Mom and the kids," Sapphira suggested. "It looks like one hell of a blizzard out here."

Suddenly, the two of them heard the unmistakable _CRACK_ of a gun being fired, and a bullet raced through the air, missing Anna's head by less than an inch. "What the?!" the Knydaxian exclaimed, eyes wide. They looked up and saw a group of snowmobiles racing towards the manor house.

Sapphira turned to her mother. "Get inside!" she ordered, entering her golden form. "I'll hold them off!"

Anna nodded, knowing that her daughter could handle this. "Be careful, little one."

As Anna rushed into the house, Sapphira glared at the snowmobiles, watching them stop on the other side of the frozen lake. Two of the riders disembarked their vehicles: a pair of female Turians, dressed in weather-proofed combat armour.

"Alright, I don't know who the fuck you are, but I suggest you turn back," Sapphira told them, coldy, her breath becoming vapor as it left her mouth. "Because you don't wanna mess with me."

One of the other riders got off their snowmobile. They lifted a rocket launcher onto their shoulder, pointed it directly at Sapphira, and fired a missile at her. She blasted the missle out of the air with her energy, but the moment the explosion faded, the entire squadron of troops opened fire on both her and the estate.

Sapphira spread her arms out widely, projecting a massive shield around the estate to deflect the blaster fire. "Who the fuck are these people?!" she muttered.

Soon her energy reserves began to run low, the light from her wings starting to fade. "No, no, not now!" Sapphira groaned. She soon returned to her normal form, and immediately felt the strain that was being put on her body by maintaining the large shield. _Okay,_ she thought to herself. _Now that the shield is up, it can hold on its own while I recharge myself._ She lowered her arms and rushed into the house as quickly as she could.

Meanwhile, Elsa was upstairs in her bedroom, huddled beneath a window with the children and a number of OLAF robots.

Anna entered the room, slightly out of breath from running. "Are you okay, Elsa?" she asked.

"I'm fine, and the kids are too," Elsa answered. "What's going on?"

"Not sure. These mercs came out of nowhere, and they're shooting up the estate."

Elsa sighed. Crisis had befallen her once again. "Where's Sapphira?"

"Out front, but she'll need help to hold them off," Anna explained. "I doubt she's got enough power to keep fighting in this cold."

Elsa nodded. "I understand. Get the kids to the basement and stay there. Saph and I will come get you once the coast is clear."

"What about you?"

"I've got a plan to deal with them," Elsa told her. "Something I hid away in case someone tried to attack us here." She turned to the OLAFs and said, "I'm gonna need one of you to help me with this."

The nearest OLAF nodded his upper sphere. "Right behind you!"

Anna went over to the children. "Come on, kids. We have to get to the basement."

"What about Queen Elsa?" a little Arendellian girl asked her. "Where's she going?"

Anna looked at her wife and smiled. "Queen Elsa's gotta go kick some ass. She'll be okay."

The Knydaxian boy Sapphira had spoken to took Anna's hand. " _Xenshu_?" he asked nervously.

Anna nodded. " _Xenshu_ ," she replied confidently.

As Anna headed out with the kids, Elsa and OLAF walked to one of the spare bedrooms in the estate. Elsa removed her dress, then opened up the wardrobe and took out her old captain's uniform: a suit originally worn by Arendelle's military leaders in times before space travel. Anna had suggested it not long after Elsa's coronation, and Elsa had agreed; this uniform was something in which her people took great pride. As she put it on, she asked OLAF, "Do you still have those access codes I gave you?"

"I'd never forget them!" the little robot replied. "I even made a little sub-directory for them in my mainframe."

"Good," Elsa acknowledged with a slight smirk. "Because you're gonna be my co-pilot." She pressed her hand on a wall panel, revealing a hidden scanner that read her handprint. The wall then opened up to reveal a hidden elevator, which the two of them stepped inside.

Meanwhile, Sapphira was hiding behind a statue in the main entrance hall, using her powers to cloak herself. The two female Turians then entered the room, brandishing submachine guns.

"Remember, Revelia," said one. "We're just here to bait them. Don't shoot to kill, got it?"

"I know, Imperia, I know, " the other replied annoyedly.. "You take the fun out of everything."

"Kill her and we won't get paid," Imperia reminded her in a stern voice.

Sapphira then burst out of her hiding spot, conjuring bursts of energy and holding them in her hands. "Hey, girls. My name's Sapphira. I'd like for you to get the fuck out of my parents' house."

The Turians trained their guns on her. "And do you intend to make us?" Imperia asked.

Sapphira hurled the energy at them, blasting the guns from their hands. "I do now. And while we're on the subject: you guys are armed to the teeth, and I just have my energy powers. Not exactly fair, if you ask me."

The Turians entered a fighting stance. "We won't need any weapons to fight you," Revelia shot back.

"Well, the last time I fought a Turian, he only had one arm. You girls have two each. I'm sure the odds will be in your favour." Sapphira smirked. She then punched Imperia in the face, before kicking Revelia in the jaw. "Whoops; guess I was wrong."

Imperia pulled out a knife and stabbed Sapphira's shoulder, eliciting a shout of pain from the hybrid girl. The Turian smirked. "You were saying?"

Sapphira pulled the blade out and dropped it on the floor, holding her hand over the wound. Her hand then glowed as she used her powers to heal herself. "I was saying," she said smoothly, "didn't your parents teach you not to play with sharp, pointy things?" She then slammed an energy-wrapped fist into Imperia's face, knocking her into the wall. The Turian's eyes closed and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Revelia rushed outside to the rest of her troops. "Bring in the artillery!" she ordered. "We'll get these people to come with us, one way or another!"

Suddenly, she felt something wrapping around her ankles and pulling her to the floor. She turned to see Sapphira standing behind her in her true form, her energy tail wrapped around her legs. "Did I give you permission to run?" she asked.

Just then, two Mobile Suits stomped out of the nearby forest. They looked to be from the days of the Earth Federation, and were armed with beam rifles.

"Hand over the queen," Revelia replied. "And maybe my friends here won't kill you."

At that moment, the ice began to rumble beneath their feet. Sapphira smirked, knowing exactly what was causing it. "Sure, she's all yours. But just so you know…she won't give up without a fight."

A large vehicle burst out from the frozen lake, rising out of the water and hovering in the air. It was a hovertank, of Arendellian design, with a large mass accelerator cannon on its hull and the Arendellian royal crest emblazoned across the top of the cockpit.

Elsa's voice boomed out from a loudspeaker: "Leave my daughter alone, you bitch!" The tank's main cannon fired on one of the Mobile Suits, destroying it with a single shot.

Sapphira grinned, cheering, "Way to go, Mom!"

The other Mobile Suit fired a plasma beam at Elsa, but the tank flew up into the air on a set of hover-turbines.

"OLAF," Elsa ordered. "Prepare Viper missiles. Let's light this fucker up."

"On it!" OLAF chirped.

A set of missiles rose up from hatches the back of the tank, firing in a spread towards the second Mobile Suit and obliterating it.

"Scared now?" Sapphira asked Revelia. She then pulled her close and knocked her out with a punch. "Yeah, figured you were."

xXx

After the battle was over, Elsa and Anna got the two Turians into Elsa's bedroom and tied them to chairs. Sapphira, meanwhile, had gone downstairs to round up the remaining mercs, and to check on the children in the basement.

"Now," Elsa said to the Turians, her voice dangerously calm, "there are two ways we can do this. There's the easy way…or my wife's way."

Anna entered her true form, punching the palm of her hand for emphasis.

"I'd go with the easy way if I were you," Elsa remarked. "Probably gonna result in a few less broken mandibles and crests."

Imperia scowled. "My sister and I are much harder to crack than most foes you've met, Elsa Frost. We won't talk so easily."

"I beg to differ," Elsa replied. "Now, tell me. Who sent you?"

"Go to hell," Imperia retorted. "And take your wife with you."

Elsa looked at her wife. "Anna, would you mind?"

Anna conjured a ball of energy and held it against Imperia's face, the intense heat scalding the Turian's dry, bony flesh.

"Ughhh!" Imperia growled in pain. The smell of burning flesh began to fill the room.

"Stop, stop!" Revelia pleaded. "It's Treize. We work for Treize."

"That wasn't so hard," Elsa replied, smiling proudly.

"Revelia, you traitor!" Imperia scolded her.

"I'm saving both our hides here, sister," Revelia retorted. "At least this way, we'll be together when this planet turns into a giant snowball."

Anna looked at Elsa. "What do we do with them now, _nira_?"

"Wait a second, Anna," Elsa told her. She then walked over to Revelia. "Do you know why Treize had you do this?"

She nodded. "He's got this machine up north, near Svellheim. It's supposed to trap Arendelle in an endless blizzard. He wanted us to lure you to it, so you could stop it."

"Why? Why would he do that?"

"He never told us," Revelia replied. "We're just a bunch of hired guns. All he told us to do was gun your place down and get your attention, but it's probably too late now. That reactor's probably gone critical by now."

"Ariel and the others must be up there," Anna said worriedly.

"We need to stop that machine," Elsa stated. "Let's go get Sapphira."

"What about us?" Imperia asked.

"We'll send the ADF around for you later," Elsa said to them. "In the meantime, get comfy."

The two Turians groaned in annoyance.

Anna followed her wife out of the room, a concerned look on her freckled face. "Elsa, we can't do this. This has to be a trap."

"You said it yourself, Anna. I want to make a difference again. My planet's in danger, and this time…I'm not gonna run away."

"Yeah, but…." Anna sighed, returning to her normal form. "Just be careful, okay?"

Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna and held her close, kissing her passionately. "I will," she promised.

The two of them walked downstairs, and Sapphira hurried over to them. "Did you get anything out of the Turians?"

"Treize sent them," Elsa replied. "He's trying to freeze the planet with his generator, and for whatever reason, he wants me to stop him."

Sapphira was silent for a moment, processing the information. "Business as usual, then?"

The queen nodded. "Business as usual."

"In that case…." The hybrid smiled. "Permission to tag along, Captain?"

Elsa smirked. "Permission granted, Lieutenant."

The three headed out of the manor, leaving the OLAF robots to watch over the children and the mercenaries. They all got into Elsa's hovertank, and Elsa put the tank into flight mode.

Sapphira looked out through the cockpit and saw the storm worsening around them. "If this blizzard keeps up, the whole planet could be frozen in a matter of hours."

"Let's not let it come to that, Sapphira," Elsa replied, starting up the engines. "Prepare to take off."

Sapphira smiled a little bit. "Mom...it's good to have you back."

"It's good to _be_ back, little sapphire," Elsa replied, smiling back.

The ship took off into the sky, heading for Svellheim. As they flew towards their destination, however, the rapidly worsening storm made it nearly impossible to navigate.

"Anna, I need you on the scanners," Elsa instructed. "I'd rather not crash into a mountain on the way there."

"On it, _nira_ ," Anna agreed.

"Sapphira, get on the weapons systems," Elsa went on. "If Treize has any more surprises, we need to be ready."

"Aye, aye," Sapphira replied obediently.

xXx

Over at Svellheim, Rapunzel and Ariel were still struggling to shut down the cryonic core, but to no avail.

"Nothing's working!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "Everytime I touch one of these consoles, it locks me out."

"It must be a biometric lock," Ariel theorised. "Only certain people can access this system."

"Hopefully, Melody's having better luck than we are," Rapunzel remarked.

"Oh, she's rather occupied at the moment." The two women did a double-take and saw Treize entering the room, holding Melody at blasterpoint. "I see you stuck around, Counselor Ansaris. Did you want to get front-row seats to the beginning of a new age?"

"Treize!" Ariel growled. "Let my daughter go, NOW! Or…." She racked her brain to come up with a convincing threat. "Or I'll fill you with so many negative emotions, you'll turn that blaster on yourself."

"Even if you could do that, I doubt you would," Treize remarked. "Besides, your daughter is very useful as a hostage."

"Mom, this guy is crazy!" Melody cried out. "Just do what he says!"

"Why the fuck are you doing this, Treize?!" Rapunzel demanded. "You were supposed to help Arendelle, not destroy it!"

"To ensure a brighter future for Arendelle," he replied. "Ever since I became a member of the Council of Ministers, I knew that I was close to being in control. But of course, you and your cousin stood in my way. Elsa was easy to get rid of; all it took was a little bit of slander, and she shattered like glass under a hammer. But of course, as long as there was one person from your bloodline in that palace, I knew I would remain a lowly senator." He looked at Ariel. "Your daughter was right, Counselor. This machine isn't a generator; it's an atmospheric manipulator. An old weapon from the Zetan war. And the deactivation sequence is keyed to Elsa's DNA."

"But what about the mithrilite crystals?" Rapunzel asked. "Melody still found them in the device."

"Oh, they're part of the device, alright," Treize explained. "They just serve a better purpose. And once I tell Arendelle how their noble queen and her family gave their lives to save this planet, I'll be next in line for the throne."

Rapunzel scowled. "You fucking bastard. You're going to murder the queen just so you can take her place?!"

"Why not?" he asked. "Commander Hans did it. Now, be a good hostage and don't get in the way. Otherwise, you'll be the first woman in the history of Arendelle to die twice."

"You won't get away with this!" Melody snapped. "My wife and her moms are gonna kick your spineless ass from here to Zeta Prime!"

"She's right, you know," a voice stated with a regal and determined flair.

Elsa, Anna, and Sapphira entered the building, and Elsa had her blaster pointed at Treize. "I knew you were scum, Khushrenada," she said. "But I didn't think you'd be this bad."

"Elsa!" Rapunzel cried. "Thank the gods you're okay."

"We nearly weren't after the esteemed senator sent his femme fatales after us," Elsa explained. "What's your game here, Treize? Why am I such an integral part of this plan?"

Treize smiled. "I'm not evil, Elsa. If I were evil, why would I be giving you the chance to save the day, and be a hero like you always are?"

"We heard everything you said, fuckboy," Sapphira spat. "This whole thing is a giant bomb, with Mom's finger on the trigger. And when it goes off, Arendelle comes running to you."

"Stay out of this, Sapphira," Elsa told her daughter. "This is between me and him. Go and get Melody to safety."

Treize let go of Melody and pushed her forward. "Here, take her. She's no use to me now."

Sapphira ran over and grabbed Melody, retreating to a safe distance with her. "You're okay, Mel," she said quietly. "I got you."

Elsa then walked over to Treize and looked him dead in the eye. "Tell me one thing, Treize. Why didn't you have your henchmen kill me?"

"Because I wanted Arendelle to remember you as a hero," Treize said. "Not as the monster that Reaper thing made you into. I figured that you deserved to die with some shred of dignity." He then gestured to the control panel. "Just press the hand scanner at the center of the console, and this winter will be over."

"Mom, don't!" Sapphira warned her.

Elsa looked down. "I'm sorry, Sapphira. But I don't see any other way." She then walked over to the control panel and pressed her hand onto the scanner.

As she did so, Treize was raising a blaster, pointing it directly at the back of Elsa's skull. Suddenly, Elsa turned around and punched him in the face with her free hand, knocking him back and causing him to drop his weapon. "Consider yourself fired, Mr. Khushrenada," she quipped before punching him again.

Treize lay on the floor, a smirk on his bloodied face. "You fool…did you really think that was the override?"

"Wait- _what?_ " Elsa exclaimed. "What did you do?!"

Treize chuckled. " _I_ haven't done anything. _You_ , Your Majesty, just initiated a core meltdown. You haven't stopped the machine; you've made it work even faster."

"You arrogant son of a bitch," Elsa snarled.

Sapphira then picked up Treize, slamming her fist into his face and knocking him out cold. "Spirits, I was starting to get sick of that guy."

The cryonic core suddenly glowed bright blue, emitting a massive beam of energy which cut through the roof of the building and shot into the sky, almost cutting into space.

" _Iruk'hei ken iyako_ ," Anna said in horrible realisation. "It's gonna go critical…and we're at ground zero."

Elsa looked sternly at Melody. "Melody, is there any way to stop this thing?"

Melody activated her scanner again. "The mithrilite crystals are still intact at the center. If we can find a way to disrupt the flow of energy into them, that should stop it…in theory, anyway."

"Disrupt?" Sapphira asked. "How the hell are we gonna stop an energy flow that size?"

"Someone has to go into the center of that thing," Melody replied, "and physically destroy the crystals. They're brittle enough that you could break them bare-handed. I know it's insane, but it's the only option we have."

Elsa nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

Anna's eyes widened. "Elsa, no! You'll be killed!"

"I have to be the one to do this, Anna," Elsa stated, removing her jacket. "I need to set things right."

Anna sighed, tears in her eyes. "Elsa…I love you."

"I know," Elsa replied. "If I don't make it…look after Sapphira."

Anna embraced Elsa, for what she feared would be the final time. "I will. Now go, _tudko_. Go and save the world."

Elsa pulled away, then walked up a set of stairs towards the beam, the large mass of energy growing wider and wider by the second. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing." She then leaped into the beam of energy, being bathed in its light.

Inside the beam, she could feel sheer cold surrounding her, penetrating her. She could feel her heartbeat slowing, as if the blood were freezing in her veins. She didn't care. There was only one thought in her mind, repeating over and over: _I have to save Arendelle_. She saw the crystals at the center of the beam, absorbing energy from the icy winds around them. Elsa touched one with her hand, and the energy immediately began flowing into her body, delivering a painful electric shock. "Ughhh!" she groaned in agony.

She grabbed the crystal with her other hand, her body feeling like it was about to be torn apart by the beam's energy. _I have to save my home_. She felt new strength surge through her, her eyes aglow with white light. Finally, using all of her might, she broke the mithrilite crystal in two.

"Mom!" Sapphira cried. She tried to lunge forward, but Melody and Ariel held her back.

" _Nira…._ " Anna looked down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The beam glowed brightly, expanding for a brief moment before it began to grow smaller, narrowing into the shape of a humanoid form.

"What the fuck...?" Sapphira murmured.

Hovering in the center of the beam, her body surrounded by an icy blue aura, was Elsa. Her veins seemed to be pulsing with a cold blue light. She slowly floated forward from the beam, hovering on a cushion of cold air. As her feet touched the floor, the blue glow in her veins faded, and she collapsed into a heap.

"Elsa!" Anna cried out, running over to her. She sighed in relief as she saw that her wife was breathing. "Guys, she's alive!"

Elsa slowly opened her eyes as the others gathered around her. "Hey, everyone," she said weakly, stumbling to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asked, rather worried. "You look…different."

Elsa held out her arms, her hands and eyes glowing an icy blue. She looked around as small snowflakes began to appear in the air around her. Elsa stared at them in wide-eyed wonder. "Oh…my…God…." She raised her arm and fired an icy blast into the air, where it exploded in a shower of snowflakes.

"I don't believe this," she said in amazement, gazing at her hands. "I…I have…powers."

"How did this happen?" Ariel asked.

"Hell if I know, Ariel," Sapphira remarked. "But I think it's awesome!"

Anna hugged Elsa tightly. "Elsa…you never cease to amaze me."

Elsa cupped Anna's cheeks, holding her close as they slowly lifted into the air on an icy wind, a light flurry of snow surrounding them. " _Jai toku ke_ , Anna," she said, her eyes filled with love.

Anna smiled. " _Jai toku ke nii_ , Elsa." Their eyes closed, and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

The others watched the two women in their tender embrace. None of them were certain of what would come next, but they knew that a new chapter in their lives had begun.

xXx

 _Personal log, Stardate 50251.1: Elsa Frost speaking. A lot has happened to me over the past few days. I've seen my daughter again, saved my homeworld, and now I have these wondrous powers. I've spent most of this time trying to understand them, and I think I have them under control-well, mostly. But now, I think it's time for another big change in my life: one that I think will make a lot of people happy._

Elsa was standing in her room at the royal estate, looking out of the window at the new spring plain in front of her. Jular's was over, and her homeworld was beginning an early spring. And what a wondrous season it would be, for everyone across the galaxy.

Anna walked into the room, smiling at Elsa. "Ready for the big day?"

"I was born ready, Anna," Elsa replied.

Anna giggled. "Okay, stop copying my lines before I sue you."

Elsa kissed her wife's forehead playfully. "Make me."

Anna giggled again. "I just thought you should know that the Archangel has just arrived in the system." She walked up to her and grinned. "I'm really happy to see everyone again."

"Me too," Elsa replied. "I think it's best that everyone is here for this one. We're starting a new chapter today, and I want all of my friends here to see it."

"Speaking of new," Anna said, "how are your powers doing?"

"I'm still getting the hang of it, but I think I have a handle on them. Well, I think I do. It feels like they're constantly evolving; every time I learn how to do one thing, I realize I can do ten other things." Elsa smirked. "Speaking of which, I've learned a new trick that I want to show off." She then moved her hands up her body in an elegant manner, her clothing transforming into an icy blue gown with a long cape trailing behind her.

"Your sparkly dress!" Anna cheered. "You can make it at will!"

Elsa smiled. "It's such a beautiful gown."

"It suits you," Anna said.

"Doesn't it, though?" Elsa agreed. She twirled around in her dress, snowflakes flying around the room. "I can't remember the last time I felt so free. These powers have given me a second chance to be myself again."

"And you've had a lot of second chances," Anna remarked, a cheery smile on her face. "Come on, _rigima ut la'uf_. Let's go see our friends again."

The two of them made their way downstairs. Sapphira, Melody, and Ariel were waiting for them, all in very formal dresses.

"Wow!" Sapphira exclaimed. "Mom, I love that dress!"

Elsa kissed her cheek "Thank you, Sapphira. You look beautiful as well."

Sapphira blushed, slightly embarrassed. "T-Thanks."

Elsa then walked out of the front door, seeing the Archangel up in the sky of her homeworld. The Arendellian smiled a little. "Wow…I didn't think I'd see it again."

A large pattern of transporter beams appeared in front of her, and most of her friends from the Archangel, Minerva, and Normandy materialised before her. Sapphira's future self, Kiara, had come as well, and Korra and Asami had arrived from Hoshido Colony.

"Hey, Elsa," Kristoff said.

Elsa walked over and hugged her old friend tightly. "It's good to see you, big guy. I've missed you so much."

"Well, I couldn't exactly let my favourite Arendellian be lonely on her own coronation day," he joked. "I mean…her second coronation day."

"No, this is truly my coronation, Kristoff," Elsa expressed. "This time, I'm truly taking my place as the queen of Arendelle."

Kira and Lacus walked over to Elsa. "Hey, Elsa!" the pink-haired idol said cheerfully. "It's so good to see you." She held out a cake in her hand. "Kira said I should bake you this. It's a coronation cake."

Elsa giggled and looked at the cake, seeing stick figures of herself and Anna made out of icing on the top. "It's very sweet, Lacus. Thank you. I just hope I get to eat some of it before Anna devours the whole thing."

Kiara smiled. "Hey, Mom." She was sporting a new hairdo, done in an undercut style, and wearing a very different outfit than she used to.

Elsa looked at her future daughter. "Seems like Sapphira's not the only one with the new hairdo."

Kiara chuckled. "Saph and me got our cuts at the same time. Honestly, it's gonna be harder to tell that we're the same person now."

"I think that's the general point, Kiara," Elsa remarked. "But I'm not sure about the outfit."

"Yeah, I've been doing some work on a barren rock called Pandora," she explained. "I didn't exactly get a chance to slip into something comfortable."

"I can sort that out for you," Elsa stated. She then flicked her wrist and an ice dress like her own formed around Kiara's body.

"Hey, whoa! This is new!" Kiara exclaimed, feeling the cool fabric hugging her body.

Angela's eyes widened and she walked over to Elsa and scanned her with an omni-tool. "Elsa, what have you done to yourself?" she asked in mild alarm. "Your blood is icy cold!"

Elsa chuckled. "I knew you'd have something to say about my powers, Angela."

Angela checked her omni-tool. "Elsa, my scans show that your blood should be frozen in your veins. If you don't mind my asking: how are you alive?!"

"I don't really know myself," Elsa answered. "All I know is that I'm very grateful to have these powers."

"Wait a second-you have powers?" Korra interjected. "Maybe you and I can spar sometime."

"Easy, Korra," Asami chided, her hand on her lover's shoulder. "She's going to be a queen; I doubt she'll have a lot of time for that kind of thing."

Sapphira then walked over to the Avatar and her girlfriend. "I haven't seen you two in a while."

"Yeah, I know," Korra replied. "Alex and Sadako couldn't make it, so we came instead."

"Their kid just turned a year old," Asami added. "And I'm sure you know how hard babies are to deal with."

"Oh yeah," Sapphira remarked sheepishly. "Mom's always telling me how much of a pain I was when I was little."

Eric then walked over to Elsa and shook her hand. "On behalf of the Zetan Alliance, Elsa: it's good to see you back."

"I thought we were all under the same banner now, Captain," Elsa replied with a smirk.

"Actually…" Eric smiled. "I just got promoted to Admiral."

"Enjoy the paperwork, buddy!" Kristoff congratulated him in a jokey manner.

"Very funny, Kristoff," Eric replied, nudging him on the shoulder.

Melody smiled proudly. "You got promoted, Dad? Way to go!"

"Yep, your old man just got another stripe on his shoulder," Eric responded, patting her on the shoulder.

Melody giggled. "I doubt I'd get a promotion as fast as you. Mom probably wouldn't let me."

"I'm right here, you know," Ariel chimed in, grinning. The three of them embraced each other.

Anna then walked to Elsa's side and lay her head on her wife's shoulder. "So, _tudko_ …what's the plan now?

Elsa smiled. "It's time for my coronation, everyone. I want the entire galaxy to know that Elsa Frost…is back."

xXx

Sometime later, everyone was gathered in the royal chapel to see Elsa reclaim her crown. Rapunzel was at the altar in a very formal dress, waiting for Elsa to arrive. While any other member of Arendelle's major religions could have performed the ceremony, Elsa knew that Rapunzel was the best choice.

Rapunzel was beaming with pride. This was Elsa's day, and all her friends had come to cheer her on. But they were more than friends to Elsa: they were family, just as Rapunzel herself was family.

The doors to the chapel then swung open, and Elsa entered. She was wearing a different, more formal ice dress: the cape was longer, she wore gloves on her hands, and her hair was in a bun. She walked down the aisle like a bride, grinning at everyone happily. Finally, Elsa came to the altar and stood on one knee, bowing in respect to her cousin Rapunzel.

Rapunzel walked over to Elsa, smiling and gently clearing her throat. "Elsa, my cousin, you come here to take your rightful place as the queen of our planet. Do you understand the responsibility which you are undertaking?"

Elsa looked up. "Yes, I do."

"Do you promise to rule with a fair and gentle hand, to provide aid to those who require it, and to promote peace both here and across the galaxy?"

"I do."

"And…do you promise to be the best damn queen that Arendelle's ever had?"

Elsa giggled at her beloved cousin's humourous phrasing. "Yes, yes I do."

Rapunzel smiled. "People of Arendelle, gathered friends, and all those across the galaxy, I present to you…." She placed the ornate golden tiara atop Elsa's head. "Queen Elsa Frost of Arendelle!" As Elsa stood up and turned around to face the crowd, Rapunzel exclaimed joyously, "Hail to the queen!"

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, and Elsa heard scattered cheers of "Long live Queen Elsa!" and "Gods save the queen!" She smiled, her eyes welling up with tears of joy.

Rapunzel grinned. "While all great kingdoms are defined by one monarch, it is the family of that monarch that holds them up. While Elsa has formed a beautiful family, they were not official royalty…until now."

Elsa gulped slightly, feeling a kind of nervousness she hadn't felt for over twenty years now.

Rapunzel looked at the audience proudly. "Would everyone rise to welcome our new royal family!" A fanfare of trumpets began playing the Arendellian anthem as Elsa's family entered the chapel.

First came Sapphira, Elsa's first daughter. She was wearing a slender white dress that hugged her body, and long gloves covering most of the tattoos on her arms. She was escorted by Kiara, who was wearing a pink formal gown.

Next came Melody, wearing a very beautiful pale blue Aquatan ballgown, with a long flowing cape behind it. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she had long sleeves down her arms. A long veil hung down from her head, and a smaller one covered her face. She was escorted by her parents: Eric held one arm, and Ariel held the other.

They all arrived at the altar, and Melody and Sapphira linked arms. Kiara stood behind them, smiling proudly.

Elsa raised an eyebrow in confusion. She looked at Rapunzel and mouthed, "Where's Anna?"

Rapunzel grinned hugely. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome…the royal bride."

The trumpets began to play a beautiful bridal march, and Anna started towards the altar. She wore a stunningly beautiful white wedding gown, one befitting a princess. She too wore long gloves over her tattooed arms, and there was a distinct Knydaxian pattern on her bodice. Her skirt was wide and splendid. Her strawberry blonde hair was done up in a bun, and perched atop it was a small tiara made from Elsa's ice. A long veil trailed behind her, and a smaller one hung over her face. Escorting her was Kristoff, wearing his dress uniform.

Elsa gasped softly, her eyes wide in sheer awe. The Knydaxian girl had never looked as beautiful before as she did now. She looked like an angel.

When Anna arrived at the altar, she smiled shyly, her face bright red. "Hi," she said softly."

Elsa smiled and took Anna's hands. "Hi."

Rapunzel walked up to the very famous couple and smiled. "I don't believe any introductions are needed for you two," she joked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone knows who we are," Elsa replied.

"Alright," Rapunzel stated. "Dearly beloved, we shall now witness the royal joining of Queen Elsa and Anna, her beloved _toko_."

"It's pronounced _tudko_ ," Elsa corrected her, the audience giggling at Rapunzel's slight goof up.

"My apologies," Rapunzel sheepishly agreed. "Anyway, first we begin with the sacred vows. Do you, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, take Anna to be your lawfully wedded wife, your queen, and your partner in life, till death do you part?"

Elsa smiled and conjured a beautiful ice ring in her hand, sliding it on Anna's finger. "I do."

"And do you, Anna, take Queen Elsa to be your lawfully wedded wife, your queen, and your special one, till death do you part?" Rapunzel then asked.

"I do," Anna responded. She then looked down, lifting Elsa's arm upwards. Elsa's ice melted away, revealing the bonding tattoo Anna had given her all those years ago. Anna pressed her hand on the black marking, the shape changing slightly into the common form of a love heart. "To you, my _tudko_ , I pledge my undying love."

Rapunzel then walked over to Anna, inviting her to come forward. "Now, we must unite Anna to the throne of Arendelle, so she may be joined as Elsa's wife."

Anna knelt down, giggling slightly.

"Do you, Anna, promise to rule at Elsa's side, and keep her vision for Arendelle pure and peaceful?"

"I do, and I promise to honour and respect the traditions of the royal family," Anna agreed. "As Elsa has done with the traditions of my people."

"Then arise, Queen Anna of Arendelle!" Rapunzel declared.

Anna stood up and met Elsa's eyes, beaming with happiness.

"By the power vested in me as crown princess of Arendelle, I pronounce this couple wife and wife." Rapunzel then smiled at her cousin. "Your Majesty, you may kiss your bride."

Elsa tenderly lifted the veil from Anna's face, wrapping her arms around her beautiful Knydaxian wife. "I love you so much," she whispered. With that, she pressed her lips to Anna's, sealing their bond with a kiss of true love.

The chapel burst into applause yet again, and Ariel smiled. She could sense the pure joy filling the room; the people were happy for their queens.

Elsa pulled away, and she and Anna turned to face everyone, smiling happily. A few happy tears were rolling down Anna's freckled cheeks.

Elsa then walked over to Kiara and Sapphira, who bowed in respect. "My daughters," Elsa said, "words cannot begin to describe how proud I am of you both. You are my princesses, and the heirs to my throne. And I know that when the time comes, you will lead the Arendellian people as justly and as fairly as I had." She created two new tiaras from ice, placing each one atop her daughters' heads. "Arise, Princess Sapphira and Princess Kiara."

As Kiara stood up, Elsa hugged her close. Kiara sniffled a bit, and murmured, "Thank you, Mommy."

When Elsa pulled away, Sapphira tapped on her mother's shoulder. "I'd like to ask a favor, if that's okay."

Elsa nodded. "Of course, my sapphire."

Sapphira held Melody's hands. "Mom…I want to give Melody what you gave Mama. I want my princess to be a true princess."

The queen smiled kindly. "Alright, then. Is there anything either of you wish to say as a vow of love?"

"Just one thing," Melody replied. " _Jai toku ke_ , Sapphira."

Sapphira lifted the veil from the Aquatan's face, smiling. They gazed into each other's eyes for a brief moment before Sapphira kissed Melody passionately, holding her beloved close.

Elsa smiled as the chapel applauded again. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you wife and wife. I would tell you to kiss your bride, but…it seems you're a bit ahead of me."

Sapphira and Melody pulled away, laughing in joy before embracing each other again.

Rapunzel stepped forward. "People of Arendelle, it is my deepest honor to present to you: the royal family of the planet Arendelle!"

The crowd clapped for a final time as Elsa and Anna took each other's hands, the couples walking out of the chapel one by one.

"I'm so glad we did this," Melody remarked. "Your mom needed this, and to be honest… I never really got to wear the veil the first time around."

Sapphira smiled. "At least Mom isn't mind-controlled this time."

"Now comes the hard part," Kiara remarked. "Mom has to make a speech to the whole galaxy."

"She'll do fine," Sapphira assured her. "She's had to fight all kinds of bad guys. This is nothing compared to that."

They all arrived in the city square, where a crowd of citizens and guests from all over the galaxy had gathered. Elsa noticed a number of starships from all across the galaxy filling the Arendellian skyways, and there were numerous cameras already set up in the audience. "Oh, my," she muttered. "There are a lot more people here than I expected."

Anna kissed her wife's cheek. "You can do it, _nira_. I believe in you."

The royal family stepped onto a large stage, and Elsa walked over behind a podium set up in the center. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and as she let it out, she opened her eyes and began her speech.

"People of the galaxy," she said, "thank you all for coming to Arendelle to celebrate my coronation. I know that many of you still see me as the cybernetically-enhanced monster that Sovereign made me. But that isn't who I am. I'm Elsa Frost, Queen of Arendelle. And this time around, I'm not answering to the Reapers, or the Geth, or a council of ministers-which, by the way, was disbanded after the incident with Senator Khushrenada. So who, you're probably wondering, am I answering to? You, the people of Arendelle. A queen is nothing without her subjects, and if I'm being honest, I'm honoured to have subjects as loyal and faithful as you all." She paused for a moment to take a breath, then continued. "Now, there are a few changes I need to address. Firstly, I'm going to return to my post as captain of the Alliance starship Archangel. My wife Anna made me realise that while Arendelle may need me, the galaxy needs me just as much. This means that I'll be coming and going fairly frequently. During my absences, I leave Arendelle in the hands of my cousin, Princess Rapunzel, and I leave the Archangel to my trusted friend Admiral Kristoff Bjorgman. Secondly…something happened to me when I deactivated Senator Kushrenada's atmospheric manipulator. I now have the power to conjure and manipulate the very ice and snow that symbolise our planet. While I don't fully understand this power, I do know that I'm able to control it. It's a blessing, not a curse." She turned and looked at Anna and the others, motioning for them to join her. "I promise you all, I'm going to be the best queen that I can possibly be. And with my family's help…I'm going to make my parents proud." She took the microphone from its stand and stepped out from behind the podium. "Also, I have a message to every single criminal, villain, despot, and evildoer in the galaxy." She smiled. "Elsa's back, bitches." With that, she dropped the microphone onto the stage.

The crowd began to applaud wildly, shouting their approval and chanting, "Elsa! Elsa! Elsa!"

Anna held Elsa's hand and smiled at her. "Long live the queen indeed."

Kiara and Sapphira looked at each other, grinning mischievously. "You know what this calls for?" Kiara asked.

"Yep," Sapphira replied.

The two of them rushed to the front of the stage, and Kiara picked up the microphone. "Hey everyone!" she exclaimed. Then, she and Sapphira shouted in unison: "PARTY AT THE PALACE!"

The younger audience members shrieked with raucous glee, while the rest were still applauding.

Anna giggled. "They really are our daughters, huh?"

"The best princesses a queen could ask for," Elsa agreed.

"I thought I was your princess," Anna replied, pouting.

"Anna, you're not my princess," Elsa told her, covering their heads with her wife's silky veil. "You're my beloved queen." She then kissed her wife tenderly, displaying their love for the whole galaxy to see. When they parted, they stood together with Kiara and Sapphira, waving to the crowd. The message was clear: the Frost family had returned, and their unbreakable bond would help them overcome whatever challenges came their way.

xXx

 **Author's note:** Howdy, folks! Matt here. Sammy and I hope that y'all enjoyed our little holiday special. This is the final Last Knydaxian thing that you're gonna see for a while, though. Sammy and I are gonna be giving the series a much-needed break so we can work on other stuff. But rest assured, Season 2 is coming.

In the meantime: Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! We'll see y'all next fic!


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